448 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Black wattle forestry in South Africa, W. Holtz {Bcr. Land u. Forstu\ 

 Dcutsch-Ostafrika, 3 (1D06), No. 1. pi). I'l. pis. 3). — A report is here giveu of 

 the black wattle iudustry of South Africa, with au account of the culture, 

 commercial importance, and uses of the forests. 



Consumption of tanbark in 1905, H. M. Hale (U. 8. Dept. Agr., Forest 

 Sere. Circ. 42. pp. '/). — Statistics from 222 firms operating 477 tanneries were 

 obtained, showing the consumption of tanbark in the United States in 1905. 



The total amount of bark used during tbe year is placed at 1,104,045 cords, 

 of which 73 per cent was hemlock and 27 per cent oak. The average pri<-e of 

 the hemlock bark per cord was .$G.o2 and of the oak bark $10.44. Pennsyl- 

 vania produced the largest amount of bark, 428.709 cords, followed by Michi- 

 gan with 240,053 cords. 



Other data show that the extract of quebracho, a tanning product obtained 

 from a South American tree, has greatly increased during the last few years, 

 amounting approximately to 87.000,000 lbs. in 1905, valued at $2,480,000. 



Wood used for pulp in 1905, H. M. Hale (U. S. Dept. Agr., Forest Serv. 

 Circ. 4.'f. pp. 11). — A report is made of the quantity and value of wood used 

 for pulp manufacture in 1905. 



The wood used for pulp amounts to about 4 per cent of the amount used 

 aunuall.y for lumber. In 1905 there were 164 companies operating 237 mills. 

 These used 3,192,223 cords of wood, from which was produced 2,084,482 tons 

 of pulp. The amount of pulp produced from a cord of wood by different 

 methods of manufacture was as follows : Mechanical 2,372 lbs., soda 1,033 lbs., 

 and sulphite 1,009 lbs. 



The wood most commonly used for pulp is spruce which in 1905 constituted 

 more than 70 per cent of the total. Next to spruce stands poplar, followed by 

 hemlock, pine, balsam, cottonwood, etc. Most of the wood in 1905 was re- 

 duced by the sulphate process, the proportions being sulphite 51 per cent, 

 mechanical 34 per cent, soda 15 per cent. The amount of spruce and poplar 

 imported in 1905 for pulp making was G45.428 cords. New York State leads 

 in the production of pulp and in the importation of wood for this purpose.' 



The use of slabs for pulp making is reported by 138 establishments, it 

 seldom constitutes, however, more than 10 per cent of the total amount of 

 wood used by a single mill. About 85 per cent of the companies reporting 

 carry on logging operations and only 5 companies depend wholly upon other 

 states or Canada for their supply of wood. The average price of wood f. o. b. 

 at the point of shipment is $5.55. 



The cultivation of Ficus elastica, the India rubber of the east, C. Bald 

 {Calciitfii: TInickcr, SpiJik ct Vo., 1D06, pp. V + 32. iils. .'/). — Ficus elastica is 

 considered the most promising species for cultivation in Ceylon. The present 

 work is intended as a guide to those contemplating the establishment of rubber 

 plantations and deals with soil, rainfall, elevation, planting, cultivation, etc. 



DISEASES OF PLANTS. 



A new anthracnose of alfalfa and red clover, S. M. Bain and S. H. Essary 

 (Jour. Mycol.. 12 (1906), No. 85, pp. 192, 193). — In a preliminary note on clover 

 diseases (E. S. R., 17, p. 567) the authors announced the discovery of a new 

 clover disease in Tennessee caused by an undescribed species of Colletotrichum. 

 Experiments ai"e being carried on to determine the life historj^ of the fungus, 

 as well as breeding experiments with clover to secure resistance to the disease, 

 and pending publication on these experiments the authors thought best to give 

 a description of the species. 



